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to Ptqg the Piono qia Uboord Leqrn

A step-bu-step -puide

NICK FREETH

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This edition published in 2008 Parragon Queen Street House 4 Queen Street

Bath

BAl lHE, UK

Copyright @ Parcagon Books Ltd 2001 Designed, produced and Packaged bY Stonecastle Graphics Limited Text by Nick Freeth Designed by Paul Turner and Sue Pressley

Edited by Philip de Ste. Croix Diagrams by Malcolm Porter The rights of Nick Freeth to be identified as the

author of this work have been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored rfl a retrieval system,

A11

or transmitted in any way or by afiy means, electronic, inechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior pefinission of the copyright holder.

rsBN

97

8-l

-407 s -397

8-2

Printed in China

Picture Credits photography by Exposure Images Ltd with the exception of the following: O Corbis: Michael Boys 10; Randy Duchaine 11; Alberto Martin/epa 7 .@ istockphoto.com:

A11

Galina Barskaya 6; AndraZ Cerar 51; Compucow 16 (above right); Jon Helgason 13 (above); Kativ 50; Robert Rushton 4; Dustin Steller 18. Pictures on pages 12 and 15 (below)

kindly supplied by Yamaha-Kemble Music (U.K.) Ltd'

Contents Introduction

5 Co-ordinoting Uour hqnds 58 Leading with the left hand 60 An extended bass riff 62 Two-handed workouts 64 Tallis's canon 66

6

1 Choosing o kegboord 8 A brief history of the piano 10 Upright v. grand 12 Acoustic v. electronic l4 Stools and stands 16 Maintenance and technical matters

18

Harmonic minor scales 72 Melodic minor scales 74

2 Getting storted 20 Preparing to play 1 22 Preparing to play - 2 24 Naming the notes 26 FrdreJacques-1 28 FrereJacques-2 30

-

3 Scoles ond chords 32 Covering eight notes with five fingers right hand 34 Covering eight notes with five fingers left hand 36 Your first chords 38 lntroducing the black keys 40 Transposing Frdre Jacques 42

4 lntroducing stoff nototion 44 The treble stave 46 The bass stave - and both staves together 48 Beats and bars 50 How note lengths are shown with staff notation 52 Do Ye Ken John Peel - I 54 Do Ye Ken John Peel - 1 56

6 Mojor ond minor 68 Major and minor chords 70

Greensleeves Greensleeves

-I

-2

16 78

7 Putting on the stgle 80 The sustaining pedal 82 The 'soft'pedal and dynamic control The 'three-chord

-

trick'

84

86

Bluesy chords and syncopated rhythms 88

TheEntertainer-190 TheEntertarner-2 92 Epilogue - taking it further

94

lntroduction The

piano is the most enticing

o.f inslnnnettt.s;

il

we walk irtto o roont contctittirtg one,

.few of'us, whether we are ntusicittrt.s ()t'tt()t. r'(/n /t'.li.\'r pre.ssing its keys, and it responds to even the ntost tmskilfill tottc'lt v'itlt ric'lt, .sotrorous tones that contrast

sharply to the rasps or squav,ks produt'ed

14' (./ot'

exumple) violins or saxophones

when they're tried out b.t' beginners!

This 'user-friendliness'is also reflected in the piano's unrivalled versatility, which is largely the product of its ability to provide rnelodies and backings simultaneously. Though originally created for classical music, it is just as well suited to pop and jazz, and can serve as a selfcontained solo voice. or as an accotnpanitttent

to other instruments and singers, either by itself or as part of a larger group. In shor1, it's a 'bedrock' for all kinds of music-making - perfect

for everything from family sing-songs and parlies to more forrnal onstage perfonnances. It is frequently favoured by cornposers and songwriters to help then.r work out their ideas, and endlessly useful, in both its acoustic and

electronic forrns, in the recording studio.

Unlocking the piono's potentiol Playing the piano is a fascinating and absorbing pastirne that

will bring

a lifetirne of pleasure,

and this book airns to give you a solid

grounding in the techniques

yor"r'11

need to get

to grips with the instrunent. lt will also teach you how to read staffnotation, help you to understand the workings of rnelody, harrnouy and rhythm, and whet your appetite for further

exploration and discovery. Just how far you decide to take your studies will, of course, be up to you; but it's undeniably true that the rnore

effort and commitment you bring to thc piano, and to music in general, the greater the rewards

will

be, both for you and for those with whorrr you share your skills. And while the process

you begin picking out recogtrizablc tr,rnes and

inevitably involves hard work and persistence, it will also be fun as you'll sootr realize when

chords. Tr,rrn the pagc, and let's get startcdl

lcarning how to sLlpport then.r with suitablc

INTITOI)tJ( t-tON

Opposite: The piono is perfect for supplging simpte chordoL bocl